Another endangered species. This Houston Street example is an archeological wonder in that the original call box was modified to accommodate an upgraded system that included the NYPD as well as the original host: The NY Fire Department. The abuse of these systems by pranksters was common when the city wide stations were more prominent. I suspect the disappearance of these street side devices may be due to the cell phone.

These yellow safety fences have been on the scene as long as I have been in NYC. They are used at most active Con Edison work sites therefore 5 Boro wide. In the 70's when lofts were artist's studios not the spacious showboats of the professional class they've become, these folding fences could be found therein as convenient towel racks.

The Halal food cart symbolizes our current lifestyle. We too busy to seat down and eat in proper restaurants when we can afford good food. Even the fast food places are too crowded, thus many of us now eat from these halal food carts where price ranges from anywhere between 3 to 8 bucks. The fact that these carts are so popular tells us that we are too busy to seat down for lunch.

Since moving to USA 8 years ago - I have brought many visitors to NYC. All of them have made Broadway a part of their NYC experience. As I and all my guests have returned home, clutching their Playbill describing the show they've seen, I realise that this is an iconic piece of New York culture. The live theatre experience is one of the most memorable and exciting aspects of life in NYC.

When I think about New York, the first word that come into my mind is freedom. Almost everyone in the city has his or her own style and personality and group of these different people makes this city unique. I haven't seen anyone who was restrained by the surroundings yet and people were confident about who they were and what they were doing. Recently, I was walking around the the Washington Square park in the snow and heard a gypsy looking man playing his trumpet in an open empty space. He looked very happy and this taught me some kind of lesson. I was very moved by the confidence and freedom he portrayed to crowd by playing his trumpet.

Unlike places in suburbia, steps to apartment buildings in NY are in abundance. Everyday different kinds of people walk in and out sharing the steps, conversing, and developing togetherness through conversation and creating a greater vibe and sense of community that forms a great city.

Fire escape are particularly special to the ambience of NYC. Whether they are used romantically or as a fire escape (rarley seen), you know you see a New York Building when you see one of these attached to it

I didn’t exactly choose an object, but a place and a moment. It said to pick something monumental. As a new New Yorker, I experienced the occupy wall street protests. My picture captures a night in the park after a long day of protests. As I left, the New York City Police department stood waiting for the protesters to leave. It made me realize the freedom, justice, balance, and opportunity that New York City holds for everyone. The power of the voices from the protesters still ringing in my ears, I took that photo to capture the history of the park, in the monument, and the idea of fighting to make my own history in New York City.

This object is important because in New York we consume and dispose so much. Filled black trash bags represent how much new york disposes so much of what they also consume. In addition black trash bags are something one sees and smells everyday walking through the city.

This object is important because the idea behind a scratch ticket is to win big money, and that money eventually will go towards your goals. This idea mimics the drive of New York City, because people come here to make it, and make it BIG!!

I think this object is important, because we pass by them every single day. Some think about them, and some don't. They have been around for such a long time, to provide ventilation for underground systems below new york city. They tell a story, from infrastructure, to transportation, to design.

Food represents new york city it represents the people that live in new york city the food tells us what kind of people live their like mexican, ecuadorian irish, british etc.... food of different contries bring people in new york city together.

Hot dogs cut across American culture from one end of the socioeconomic spectrum to the other. Who doesn't love hot dogs? And the best and most iconic hotdog in the world was born in none other than Coney Island, Brooklyn. Nathan's! Served at the White House (by Jackie Kennedy, no less!) at Yankee Stadium and even at Yalta (to Churchill and Stalin), the Nathan's hot dog IS Americana. But more than that, it's New York. According to Nathan's lore, New York's own governor Nelson Rockefeller once said, “No man can hope to be elected in his state without being photographed eating a hot dog at Nathan’s Famous." 'Nuf said.

During recent archaeological excavations for the new South Ferry subway terminal, a bottle seal from the late 17th century with the coat of arms used by Governor Benjamin Fletcher (1692-1697 in NYC) was found. This is a piece of hands-on history that makes a direct connection between today and colonial New York. It is made of dark green glass and is approximately 2 inches in diameter.

description:

Governor Fletcher was one of colonial (and continuing up to the present day!) NYC's colorful and controversial leaders. He was recalled for being overly friendly to the pirates who frequented NYC at the time but he was also responsible for advancing the Anglican religion in the city. His use of the Fletcher Coat of Arms was technically illegal as he was not a member of this noble Scottish family. But who was to know in far off New York? This bottle seal can connect modern audiences to several themes important and/or interesting in NYC's history: the importance of trade in the development of the colonial city; the characteristics of rule by appointed royal officials; and daily life during the 17th century.

Comments [2]

josh
from ny

Ms. Janowitz,

I am part of a graduate class at columbia using this object in our exhibit of ny artefacts and I am curious about the link between this fletcher crest seal and Gov. Fletcher? Does this bottle date back to 1690s?thanksJosh Levinejsl2218@columbia.edu

My mother was born in 1921 in the Bronx. As a child she and the neighborhood kids flattened them in the grooves of the trolley tracks under the weight of the moving trolley cars, or they filled them with wax or tar in both cases to make playing pieces for games that are mysterious to me such as "skelzies" or others I have to admit knowing like "pitching". Later in the 1960's she crocheted tiny colorful slipcovers encasing and then sewing them together to make artistic hot pot mats. In the more innocent days of Sesame Street when Bert still lived with Ernie, Bert collected them to Ernies total disinterest. Today because they are not recyclable along with the bottles from whence they come, my daughter's school collects them for art projects. Indeed, there is a whole new genre of recycled bottle cap craft-ing available for your browsing pleasure on the internet. Ignoble but omnipresent, I nominate the bottle cap. But in New York City don't dare refer to them with the adjective "pop."

WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 are New York's flagship public radio
stations, broadcasting the finest programs from NPR, PRI and American Public Media, as well as a wide range of award-winning local
programming. WNYC is a division of
New York Public Radio.